Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
by ShadowDrake
Summary: AU - What if Moira DID do more research on Rahne's anormal DNA matrix (meantioned way back in the NM graphic novel) when she was first born? Gods I hate writing summaries. Part 2 is now up!
1. Birth of a Highland legend

Title: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? (1/?)  
Series: Part One of the Muir Island Chronicles  
Author: Shadowlander  
Email: Shadowlander1@gmx.net  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters commonly associated with the New Mutants or their sister team the X-Men; they belong to Marvel Comic Groups and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Archive: If you already have some of my stuff posted add this too if you want, all other please ask first.  
Pairing: Rahne/Doug  
Rating: PG-13 - R, primarily for language and violence content.  
Note: All of this takes place in an alternate universe, so forget everything you know about the X-Men or New Mutants. In a nutshell Rahne's mother lived and went to work for Moira on the island where our ever-favourite werewolf grew up. Also I've played a bit lose with history... for all intents and purposes in this story Rahne was born in 1984 and is seventeen years old, she only met Reverend Craig like four times in her life. The two have a love/hate relationship with one another, any other questions, comments, or suggestions? Last item, honest, the butchering of Rahne's accent is my entire fault, I have yet to get the hang of writing a Scots blur. ::sheepish grin::  
  
WHO'S AFRAID OF THE BIG BAD WOLF? (1/?)  
  
Prologue -  
  
Ullapool Hospital  
June, 1984  
1345 hours -  
  
Moira MacTaggart frowned at the lab report in her hands trying to make sense of what she was reading, flipping back and forth between the pages on the chipboard she tried to wrap her mind around the results of what should have been a simple blood test. "So ya ken see, Doctor," the tech was explaining, "the sample ya gave us ha' to be contaminated." The young man was saying trying to be helpful to the recently divorced Doctor from Kinross.   
  
"Aye... so it would seem," Moira said more to herself then anyone else still deep in thought, "but exactly how did it get tha' way? There are na wolves in the' Highlands" She said lowering the clipboard and turning her gaze to the young mother in the other side of a large viewing window holding a small newborn. "What the' devil is goin' on here?" she wondered under her breath, her eyes zeroing in on the infant in the woman's arms, her mind working over the problem.  
  
******************************  
  
Thirteen years later  
Muir Island, Scotland -  
  
Rahne Sinclair woke up on the floor of the research lab, naked and a bit cold, "Here," a voice said as a hand held out a blanket for her to wrap up in. "How do you feel?" Moira gently asked the young redhead who was still trying to get her bearings, it wasn't every day she woke up in a corner of the lab without any clothes on.   
  
"Na sure," Rahne replied after a moment staring wide-eyed around her, "wha' happened? I remember na feelin' vera well last night and... feelin' like muh insides were coming out." She said frowning a bit as she tried to piece together last nights events, she remembered going to bed early only to wake up a few hours later screaming in agony.  
  
"Your powers surfaced last night," Moira gently explained helping the young mutant stand, "ya shape shifted for the first time." Steadying the girl the older woman gave her a calm smile trying to reassure her, knowing that the young girl had a lot to deal with in the coming months, learning to deal with her new found powers and abilities. "Come on... ya got several people wanting to see ya," she said as one figure came rushing toward them.  
  
"Rahne!" Abigail Sinclair cried enveloping her daughter in a bone-crushing hug, never wanting to let her go. Not after what she witnessed last night, anyway, Moira had tried her best to prepare them for this day for twelve odd years, every since that day the Doctor brought them both to Muir Island. MacTaggart explaining that she believed Rahne was a mutant and wanted to study her progress and development. Abby almost left the island that day, sure her old friend had lost her mind, then Moira had shown her the lab report including the three other reports she had done at different hospitals to confirm the findings. It had taken awhile but she was finally convinced that her old friend wasn't going to use her daughter as a lab experiment, wanting instead to help Rahne learn to deal with being born 'different' in as safe an environment as possible and Muir Island Genetic Research Lab was the best place for that. She thought she had been prepared for this day, she thought she could deal with it all, but seeing her daughter change forms in front of her was almost too much.   
  
"I'm fine mum," Rahne said somehow sensing her mother's worry and fear, "really I am." She added with a small smile, wondering if she was ever going to be fine again.  
  
******************************  
2 June 2001  
Mainland - Kinross  
  
Douglas Ramsey shouldered his carry bag, trying hard not to look like a tourist in the small fishing village, certain all the locals were pointing at him and his friends going: "look... Americans" and making snide comments as the little group made their way to the docks to catch the ferry to Muir Island. While he still wasn't sure exactly why the Professor was making a trip to the world famous Mutant Research facility, much less why he was taking most of the New Mutants with him, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth either. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would see Scotland, much less have a change to walk around THE mutant/genetic research facility on the planet, sometimes it was great being a mutant.   
  
"The airsickness wear off yet, Dougie?" Illyana Rusputin asked throwing her arm around the young man, grinning broadly her eyes practically shinning behind her mirror tint sunglasses, already tasting the mischief and mayhem she planned to stir up during her stay.   
  
"Yana... don't get us thrown out of Scotland," Doug said dryly, reading his team mate's body language and not liking that evil little grin of hers one little bit, he knew her too well and been in too many fights not to know what she was up to.   
  
"Moi?" Illyana questioned trying to look innocent, forgetting momentarily just whom she was talking too, the one guy at the school whose unique talent just happened to be languages and reading and understanding them.   
  
Shaking his head sadly, Doug wondered just how long they would be grounded for over Illyana's latest little stunt, knowing how much the Professor frowned upon property damage and having to pick up students at the local police department. Only to be brought out of his silent musings by a body slamming into him and Illyana, "Look out," a thickly accented voice growled as a short headed redhead slipped past them followed closely by a gang of cursing youths armed with bottles and bricks.  
  
"MUTANT FREAK!"  
  
Doug tried not to cringe at the hated words, realizing moments later that the words weren't directed at him or his friends, but at the redhead that had ran into him.   
  
Ducking the brick that had been aimed at her head, Rahne growled lowly her eyes blood red as she fought to remain in human form, knowing that if she did shape shift she wouldn't stop until she killed someone. Realizing she was in a crowd, she thought quickly, she had meant to lose the Southend Hooligans chasing her before heading for the docks and the safety of the Muir Island ferry. However the narrow minded little gits, seemed to be in rare form today, actually trying to keep her cut off from the north end of town where most people tended to leave her be. 'Wha' do ya know, they actually thought things through today,' she thought ruefully, the whole 'get the mutant' game they seemed to play every day really getting on her nerves. Most people in town ignored mutants as long as they minded their own business, however there were a select few, collectively called the Southend Hooligans, who made it their hobby to act like complete morons and pick fights with every mutant they happened across. Being a known mutant and citizen of Kinross made it worse for her, many of the hooligans trying their best to kill her happened to be her own school mates, and she had to put up with they insults and taunting everyday.   
  
Charles Xavier steadied his wheelchair with one hand as he tried to telepathically keep track of his own students, while trying to get a grasp of the situation. He didn't expect to walk right into the middle of a hate crime, a part of him grasping to the hope that things would be a bit better for mutants here in Kinross so close to Moira's lab, apparently he had been wrong and the knowledge saddened him to no end. He could feel his students outrage and hostility over the situation slamming against his mental shields, the ones he used to keep the thoughts of every man, woman, and child in a two mile radius out of his head, not to mention his sanity. Before he could act he saw the young redhead get a board broken over her back, a deep rumbling growl sounding in front and behind him as Logan popped his claws ready to jump into the middle of the fight, 'But where did that other growl come from?' he wondered, gathering his own powers to telepathically freeze the girl's attackers. While it wouldn't do a thing for maintaining a low profile while in town, he wasn't just going to sit there and watch her get beat up or let the hot tempered X-Man called Wolverine loose on the mostly young mob after the mutant. Only to come up short as the fight was joined by another group of youths, many of them armed as well, but they didn't seem to be interested in the mutant at all, in fact they seemed to be coming to her defence.  
  
"Whose first?" a tall bald headed black youth growled, a large metal pipe in his hands as he got between the redhead and her attackers, not at all shy about taking a swing an anyone that got in his way. "Come on you little bastards... which one wants a broken arm?" he taunted as he and his friends took up protective positions around their friend, hatred for the Southenders clear in their eyes.   
  
"Break it up... you have no business this close to the docks," another youth said, playing peacemaker for the time being. "Go on the lot of you... before I let the wolf tear your hearts out... GO ON!" he shouted knowing that the tide had turned against the Southenders they no longer had the superior numbers, although against Rahne they were all ready out numbered if she had lost her temper with them.   
  
Seeing his opportunity Xavier subtly projected compliance at the boy's command to the mob, also wanting to avoid further trouble, all the while keeping his own students in check. This was not the introduction he wanted to make to Moira and her group of students as the redhead's defenders obviously were, although he understood not all of the 'Muir Island Mob' as they fondly called themselves, were mutants. Still they were a gutsy bunch and very protective of one of their own, if the curious guarded looks he was now getting from them was any indication. "I'm Professor Xavier... can you tell me which way to the Muir Island ferry?" he asked, seeing it as the safest route of introduction at the moment, he didn't know if Moira had told any of his students that he was a mutant or not.  
  
'Oh great... we're dead,' Stephen Gaskins groaned as he helped Rahne stand, knowing that this latest incident with the Southenders was 'so' not going to go over well with Lady Moira, especially in front of her friend from New York. 'What a way to get introed to the guy... we're chasing off the local hate-mongers,' he thought with a shake of his dark head wondering how the day could get worse.  
  
Cringing as she stood, her left side voicing its protest at the moment, a trail of blood running down the side of her face from a cut to her forehead. Taking slow even breaths she forced herself to calm down, 'Steady girl,' she told herself, feeling her wild half thrashing about inside of her trying to get out, 'make it back ta the island and tear apart the danger room.'  
  
  
Twenty minutes later, Kinross Docks -  
  
"Cor... they worked ya over good ta day," the first mate of the Muir Island ferry whistled as he turned Rahne's face to get a better look at her injuries, "ya lucky you'll be mostly healed before ya mum sees ya," he added in a conspiring voice dabbing at her cut with an alcohol swab from the boat's little medical kit.   
  
"Aye," Rahne acknowledge with a weary smile, knowing how upset her mum got every time she come home after a fight.   
  
Not far away Doug was watching the two trying to wrap his mind around what had happened, 'How can anyone be smiling after getting jumped?' he wondered.  
  
"Oh that was nothing... just the local hate-brigade announcing their continuing ignorance to the world," Stephen said, briefly looking up from his rope tying, before returning to his task unaware of the stares he was getting from Xavier and his students. The Professor more out of curiosity then anything else, he had not sensed any telepathic ability from the boy. "Don't trouble yourself Professor... you'll get used to me in time," he said as he looked up at the telepath a sympathetic look in his eyes, returning the Professor's direct gaze.   
  
End Part One. 


	2. Moira's Reaction

NOTE: Please note that this series works under the premise that Moira actually has a staff and employees on that island of hers. A few of them were showed in an X-Factor issue - the number escapes me at the moment - when Guido accompanied Rahne back to Muir when they were trying to remove the left over mutate programming in her head. You couldn't miss them; they loaded Rahney onto a gurney after she passed out while returning to her human form. With that said - on with the show.  
  
  
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? (2/?)  
  
Moira MacTaggart stood at the end of the Muir Island dock; arms folded across her chest, one foot tapping out an impatient beat against its ancient weathered timbers, her eyes hard with anger and annoyance as she watched for some sign of the ferry from the mainland. She had been standing out on the dock for nearly ten minutes now, waiting for the ferry, her mind turning over the radioed report from the boat's captain. Trouble with the Southend Hooligans was nothing new, it was nearly routine for the local constables to be breaking up some kind of altercation between the rowdies and her own students.   
  
She smirked a bit at the thought of her own students; they were a motley group made up of the children of her island employees and the handful of mutants that called Muir home. They hadn't set out to form any 'team'; they mainly associated with one another on the island out of necessity - it got a bit lonely on the island at times especially for the children. That inclination to hang around one another tended to carry over to the mainland, where most of the villagers gave them a wide berth for either being the children of one of Moira's employees or for being a mutant themselves. When the troubles started with the Southend Hooligans the little group of human and mutant youths closed ranks, becoming more protective of one another and the whole lot of them refused to be intimidated by anyone.   
  
They somehow picked up the nickname "The Muir Island Mob" one night after a particular rowdy encounter with the Hooligans that resulted in Moira paying yet another visit to the local police department. While the judge ruled that the 'Mob were merely defending themselves when they had been jumped by the Hooligans, it only served to deepen feelings of animosity between the two groups and the village was always cloaked in a thick haze of tension whenever the island kids were on the mainland. 'Na much ah ken do about that,' Moira told herself firmly, 'the brains deserve the right ta go ta school... an I'm na gonna ta forbid them from goin ta town during their free time as long as their behave themselves.' She had told the local authorities as much too, citing the fact that every time one of the 'Mob had been taken into police custody it was because they were defending themselves. It had gotten to the point that as long as the island kids didn't start the fight or cause any property damage and since they did usually go out of their way to avoid trouble with the Southend Hooligans the authorities tended to let them board the ferry back to Muir and let Moira handle them.   
  
Which was what Moira was doing now as she straightened a bit, her foot ceasing its rhythm-less tapping and she squared her shoulders as the ferry began its turn toward the island's dock, the stern look never leaving her face. Nodding as one of the boat crew jumped onto the dock reaching for the tow line to tie the craft up to the side, Moira quickly scanned the assorted people lining the deck of the ferry, noting Charles Xavier's own grim look with a weary smile, 'Ya just had to be early didn't ya Charles,' she thought ruefully knowing he either had of heard all about Rahne's run in with the Hooligans or, lord help them all, actually saw it. 'Ya timing could na have been any worse,' she acknowledged with an inward sigh, this was not how she wanted to introduce the 'Mob to her old friend, however the damage had been done.   
  
The next person to step off the boat drew the Doctor's attention away from Xavier. Rahne Sinclair kept her head lowered a bit and turned away from Moira's direct gaze uncomfortable with the Doctor's critical eye. A gentle hooked finger under the girl's chin lifted and turned her face toward the Doctor for a better look, "ah lassie," Moira said in a soft voice. Her eyes hardening a bit as she watched the cut on Rahne's forehead near the hairline, literally close on its own leaving behind an angry bruise which was also fading before her eyes.   
  
The youth remained silent, her red gaze keeping eye contact with the older woman knowing that once Moira MacTaggart's curiosity had been satisfied that she would be allowed to disappear into the Danger Room and tear something apart until her blood-lust had been sated. Granted with the way her wolf was trashing about inside of her demanding to be unleashed, she would be in the Danger Room for hours destroying everything the room had to throw at her, and it still may not be enough. The blood lust was strong today, almost overwhelming in its need to rend and tear at something, screaming in the back of her mind to hunt... to taste the blood of a fresh kill. But Rahne resisted the urge; there were too many strangers on the island to risk it. Best to remove herself from everyone and cut lose in as safe of an environment as possible until the lust was sated or she passed out from exhaustion.   
  
"Rahne," Moira called again putting both hands on the young redhead's shoulders trying to get her attention without agitating the child any further. 'What the devil happened in town?' she wondered noting the glowing red eyes seemed to pulse with an inhuman light. The older woman swallowed her fear instantly recognizing just how close the young mutant was to losing control and going into one of her berserk rages. Granted Rahne rarely got violent toward humans during her rages, she tended to tear apart very expensive equipment in all night training sessions, but she usually reframed for attacking people as long as they left her alone. With Charles and his students on the island there was no telling what Rahne would do if she slipped into one of her rages, her wolf half wasn't used them, she could attack one of them mistaking them for enemies, it had happened before. Feeling the redhead shift under her hands, Moira smiled inwardly, 'good I got her attention,' she thought. "Off wit' ya, I do na want ta see ya again until morning," she said slow and evenly making sure she was getting through to her young charge.   
  
Charles Xavier watched the exchange between the two with an unconscious frown his gaze thoughtful as he watched the young girl nod and move off after a moment. "Moira," he greeted once his wheelchair was settled onto the dock his remaining students clambering out of the ferry behind him.   
  
"Charles... ya're a bit early was na expecting ya until tomorrow," Moira said shoving her hands into her lab coat pockets as she gave her old friend a lopsided smile. "I see you met part of me 'Mob' she added dryly arching an eyebrow at the four youths that had come to Rahne's aid in the village.   
  
"It wasn't our fault... honest Aunt Moira," Neville James, the young black man with the pipe from earlier, said raising his hands in mock surrender trying to appear as innocent as possible. Which usually caused a lot of suspicion from all the adults he knew because he did have a reputation for mischief making that border lined on hooliganism at times in his own right.   
  
"We'll talk about that later laddie," Moira said dryly the look in her eyes telling the young man that while Rahne may not be in trouble, she was the one being attacked after all, it didn't mean that the rest of them weren't. While they technically didn't start anything and were only defending their friend several verbal threats were exchanged. And Neville, at least, couldn't afford anymore run ins with the Youth Authority or the boy's grandmother was going to kill him. Or so the 95-year-old woman claimed one night while chewing out her 6 ' tall grandson that towered over her own 5'2" frame after Moira had made one too many trips to the mainland to pick up the 'Mob from the local constable station. "Ya grandmother is waiting in the house... she has chores picked out for the lot of ya... now go on." She directed the four who cringed a bit at the words. No one in their right mind messed with Neville's grandmother, the old woman had practically raised the whole lot of them, Lady Moira included, and still packed a mean swat to the back of the head.   
  
As the four youths shuffled off like a line of prisoners off to the gallows, Moira shook her head before turning her attention back to Charles and his students. "Sorry about tha'... I'm told ya got an eye full of the Southend Hooligans," she said after taking a deep breath. "I wish I could say it was a fluke an' it wouldna happen again, but I'd be lying. For the most part people in Kinross leave mutants be, however we do have our fair share of bigots and just plain fools with nothing better ta do then cause trouble." She explained with a weary smile, "if ya students are going ta be going inta town take one of me 'Mob with ya... they'll make sure ya get back ta the island in one piece."  
  
"They didn't seem to help the kid much," Logan noted from the Professor's left his eyes hard and cold, still ticked off over the whole mess. If it had been just him the kid's attackers would have gotten the beating they so obviously needed and would have thought twice in the future about attacking people just because they were different.   
  
"Ah but they did Logan... they kept Rahne from losing her temper and hurtin' someone," Moira replied, "ya need to meet all of me 'Mob before passing judgement on them we do things a bit differently up here." She finished with a smile, "come now let's get ya all settled in shall we... we have lots ta do." She directed as she turned and led the party down the dock toward the large stone and timber building that served as both home and research facility.   
  
********************  
  
Stuart Palin looked up from the control panel in the command booth of the Danger Room, where he had been finishing up installation of a new training program in the advanced computer system, when Rahne entered the actual training part of the room. Frowning a bit he glanced over at a side panel cringing when he saw a screen flashing a warning, "Oh bloody hell," he muttered to himself, his eyes widening as he read the words on the screen.   
  
"WARNING: PROGRAM 64 IN OPERATION! AUTHORIZED PERSONAL ONLY"  
  
Only one person used program 64 and that was Rahne and she used it for only one reason - she had lots of excess energy to burn off and wanted to destroy something. Which was the polite way of saying that the young mutant in question was either in a blood lust induced rage or was very near going into one. Since she did have remarkable control over her wolf-half, as her team-mates insisted on calling it, she rarely used program 64, after all it did take a lot for her to feel that out of control that she just had to tear something apart or she was going to kill someone. "Bugger... must have been trouble in town again," the young mutant in the command booth thought running a hand through his hair in frustration. 'Rahney must have used the remote to program the room,' he thought pretty sure he would have noticed an irritated Rahne Sinclair walk into the command booth, reach over him and access the desired program. Sure he tended to get wrapped up in his work a lot but he didn't get THAT wrapped up in it. Reaching over he flipped a switch on the master control panel, "Hey Rahney - I'm got work up here... am I going to bother you?" he asked unconsciously wetting his lips with his tongue, he tended to make it a point not to tick off irritable werewolves, especially ones he lived with.  
  
Rahne gave a half snort as she readied herself, "nah lad... ya fine... although ya ken keep out the others if ya do na mind," she said her voice becoming deeper and harsher as she finally gave into the urge to shift. Her body flowing like quicksilver from human to the so-called 'werewolf' form, a large russet coloured furry monster standing at nearly seven feet, thick corded muscles wrapping around its large frame, strong hands extending long and deadly claws as it howled out its delight at finally being let lose. "BEGIN!" the creature snarled the command leaping for the first thing that appeared before it care of the Danger Room's advanced holographic and computer system.  
  
"Sure... no problem," Stuart said jumping a bit at her howl sending a silent prayer to whoever was listening that he wasn't the one that had ticked off the werewolf in the first place.   
  
*********************  
  
End part 2.  
  
One final note: I do not own any of the characters commonly associated with the New Mutants or any of their sister teams, they belong to others and are used with permission. Stuart Palin belongs to himself - as far as I know - and was shanghaied to be in this fic... he was just sitting there minding his own business and then bam! I grabbed him. ;-) The continuing butchering of Rahne and now Moira's accents were brought to you by the mad little Deutschlander... namely me. Hoped you all enjoyed it. 


End file.
